1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a disposable pet food dish, including a disposable liner and a holder for the liner. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a disposable liner which has a means for attaching itself to the holder by a snap-action, and which is also readily disengageable from the holder.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Feeding pets, such as dogs and cats, can be a particularly messy chore. Food which remains uneaten can spoil and leave behind an unpleasant odor. To promote hygiene, a conventional pet food dish should be cleaned separately from the dishes and other kitchen utensils employed by the human members of the household. Furthermore, if food does spoil, the conventional dish should be cleaned prior to putting fresh food therein. Cleansing minimizes or prevents illess to the pet caused by the presence of bacteria and/or toxins produced by the bacteria in the uneaten food.
It would be desirable to provide a disposable dish, thereby eliminating the unpleasant chore of washing the pet dish. However, a disposable dish which would have the structural strength to be self-supporting and not be upset by the pet during feeding would be expensive and bulky to package and store prior to use.
Merely providing a pet dish holder with a disposable liner is inadequate. This is because the pet, particularly a dog, could dislodge the liner from the holder during feeding.
The prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,594 to Boehlert disclosed, such as at FIG. 8, a disposable liner with a raised ridge and lock tabs in a receptacle. However, the disposable liner has a dish-like shape, a lip which overlays a portion of the receptacle and a locking ridge which circumscribes the entire liner. Thus, it appears that it would be difficult for a person to disengage the liner from the receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,353 to Imhoff discloses a disposable pet dish and support frame structure. However, an upper lip, attached to the disposable dish, snaps over and onto the support structure, making both assembly and disassembly of the liner and frame a difficult operation.
It would be desirable to provide a disposable pet dish to eliminate the need to clean a pet dish. It would also be desirable to provide a disposable pet dish having a liner which can be easily attached and detached from the support holder by the pet owner, and yet remains attached while the pet is feeding.